


Things of An Intimate Nature

by Anatemnein



Category: Designing Women
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-23
Updated: 2019-09-23
Packaged: 2020-10-27 01:09:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20751836
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anatemnein/pseuds/Anatemnein
Summary: Charlene invites Anthony and Julia over for dinner, hoping for some help with a problem. Little do they know her problem will force them to be uncharacteristically candid.





	1. Chapter 1

~~~~

The door swung open, and Charlene breathed a grateful sigh of relief at the sight of Anthony and Julia standing on her front porch.

"Thank goodness y'all are here!" she said, urging them inside.

"Well it sounded important when you called us, so here we are" Julia said warmly, kissing Charlene on the cheek as she stepped into the foyer. "Where's Ms. Olivia?" she asked excitedly, peeking into the living room to see if the baby was in view.

"Oh, she's in her playpen just over there" Charlene sighed happily, watching Julia cross the room and scoop up the baby excitedly. If there were two people Olivia liked--besides herself and Bill--it was Anthony and Julia. Julia giggled as she lifted Olivia into the air and kissed both her cheeks, while Anthony playfully tugged at her chubby little hands.

Charlene smiled to herself and motioned for them to sit. "I know I interrupted y'all's dinner plans this evening when I called you earlier, so I got some Popeye's for all of us" she said, plopping down on the over-sized armchair across from them.

"Charlene, that wasn't necessary. You said you wanted to talk to us, you don't have to feed us" Julia said, sitting Olivia down on the blanket near the sofa where her toys were situated. Olivia busied herself, banging two wooden blocks together excitedly.

"Don't listen to Julia, I only give advice in exchange for fried chicken" Anthony said, leaning forward to grab a drumstick as Julia shoved him and rolled her eyes playfully.

"What's the matter, Charlene?" Julia asked gently.

Charlene looked at her in amazement. She wanted to be like Julia, always so calm and collected, so beautiful, so full of knowledge; Charlene felt impish next to her, like some half woman who stopped growing somewhere between girlhood and womanhood, like an awkward, unfinished plant.

Charlene bounced her knees nervously and looked at the ground for a moment before looking back at them. "It's about Bill and I."

Anthony nodded intently. "Well, see now, that's good, because I thought this might be about someone else."

"Anthony" Julia said, shaking her head and stifling a grin.

Charlene regarded them carefully as Anthony threw Julia a playful smirk. She remembered Julia's relationship with Reese, with its on and offs, its ups and downs, and she felt a swell of happiness when she remembered that Julia and Anthony had been dating for six months, steadily. The beginning to their relationship had been somewhat rocky, but Charlene could honestly not recall a time when either of them had been happier. She felt stupid when she remembered that neither she nor Mary Jo nor Suzanne put faith in their relationship when it began.

"Charlene...?" Julia asked quietly, and Charlene realized she'd been staring at them for a while, long enough for them to think she had a problem.

"Yes, yes, sorry" she said, looking away nervously as she wiped her hands on her pants. "Well, it's just...I don't know, I don't really know where to start."

"Is there a problem in your marriage?" Julia asked gently.

Charlene looked at the ground in embarrassment. "Sort of" she mumbled.

"It's nothing to be embarrassed about, Charlene," Anthony said, wiping his hands clean with a wet wipe, "everybody goes through something at some point." He leaned back against the sofa, rubbing Julia's back tenderly. Julia had slid forward at Charlene's admission, and was leaning toward her a bit.

"What exactly is the matter, Charlene? Is it between the two of you, something to do with the house, with Olivia?"

Charlene paused and fingered her earring nervously. "It's us" she said quietly, pausing for a moment. "I can't say, it's too embarrassing" she said, shaking her head.

"Charlene" Julia said in a firm tone that suggested she might soon lose her sympathy and her patience.

"Bill and I don't have sex anymore" Charlene blurted out. She paused and looked up at Anthony and Julia, who were sitting completely still on the sofa.

Julia tried to straighten and affect her usual cool demeanor, but she broke eye contact with Charlene as she said, "Oh...well...that's, that's unfortunate."

"Very much so" Anthony said, nodding his head as his face kept its deer-in-the-headlights expression.

Charlene slapped her hands on the arm rests of the chair and said, "Oh, come on, y'all, I know this is uncomfortable to talk about, but I don't know where else to turn and I need help."

"What do you think we can do for you?" Anthony asked, arching a brow in the way he always did when he was about to back out of something.

"Well you all have sex" Charlene said as simply as she could.

Julia looked flustered and looked at her lap while Anthony shook his head. "We're celibate" he said.

Julia glanced at Charlene briefly as she said, "Charlene, I don't think we're going to be able to help you with this" wrinkling her face and wondering how exactly Charlene Stillfield thought she and Anthony were supposed to improve the Stillfield Sex Life.

Charlene shifted in frustration and stuffed her legs beneath her. "Please y'all, you know I love my momma and daddy, but we just don't talk about stuff like this. And you know Bill and his parents don't talk about this, his mother's way too conservative. I think she conceived him via immaculate conception or something!"

"Charlene!" Julia cried as Anthony blanched white beside her.

"Look, I know you all have a happy, fulfilling relationship" Charlene said desperately.

"Can't I just buy you a copy of the Kamasutra?" Anthony asked.

Charlene's eyes widened and she leaned forward a touch. "_Really_, is that what y'all use?"

"CHARLENE!" Anthony and Julia cried in unison, stiffening as much as two living, breathing people possibly could.

Charlene slumped back in her chair in frustration, and sighed. "Fine, forget I asked it, I'm sorry" she said, resting her head against the hand that was propped up on the armrest.

Julia looked at Charlene sympathetically for a few moments, and turned to look at Anthony, who paused for a moment before nodding and shrugging his shoulders in agreement.

"Well, well alright, Charlene, we'll see what we can do" she said as casually as she could, remembering how she often was left unsatisfied when she was dating Reese. She'd never mentioned it to anyone, but the years of frustration were difficult to deal with, and a part of the reason they split (unbeknownst to him). She blushed slightly as she remembered her first time with Anthony, and the way that she enjoyed sex again for the first time in years.

"We're not detailing nothing" Anthony said quickly.

"No, no of course not" Charlene said hurriedly, sitting forward excitedly. She looked almost too excited, and Julia wondered what sort of thoughts, exactly, had percolated in Charlene's head for her to reach out to them for help.

Julia settled back against the sofa, and tugged at her skirt, crossing her arms across her chest and looking at Charlene intently. "Well, well okay, so what exactly has gotten you all to this point?"

Charlene sighed in frustration. "I don't know. Work, my work, his work, Olivia, stress about the new house--you name it."

Julia pressed her lips together briefly before she said, "How long, exactly, has it been?"

Charlene looked at the ground, embarrassed to even admit the truth. "Four months."

"FOUR MONTHS?" Anthony cried incredulously.

"ANTHONY!" Julia snapped, whacking him in the chest, looking entirely flustered.

Anthony raised his hands and bowed his head. "I'm sorry, Charlene, I'm sorry!"

"W-well how often do you all...you know?" Charlene asked, furrowing her brow self-consciously.

"DON'T answer that" Julia snapped before Anthony could say anything.

"I didn't say nothin'!" Anthony said, folding his arms in frustration and looking intently at the ground. Charlene could tell he was suddenly feeling a little more brazen, most likely high on the thrill of having bragging rights, were he allowed to speak.

"Come on, y'all, like I said, neither Bill or I have any idea of what's normal and what's not where sex is concerned. We never got 'the talk' at home; our parents just signed off on us attending health class and that was as good as we got" Charlene said, feeling not only frustrated now but somehow deeply ashamed. She buried her face in her sweater and looked at Olivia, wondering silently to herself how someone who knew so little about the Facts of Life could possibly produce a child.

Julia sighed deeply, feeling sorry for Charlene, and remembering her own upbringing, which was also distinctly lacking in the way of sex education. She remembered well the fumbling of her wedding night, and the weeks it took to really feel comfortable with herself, with Hayden, and the time it took (much longer) to figure out what she liked. And of course, once those dear secrets were unearthed, she met Reese, and her secrets lay exposed but unsatisfied for the duration of their relationship.

Anthony himself could sympathize as well. Dondi never talked to him about sex, and nudie magazines always made him feel dirty as a young man, coming of age. He had his first kiss at the late age of 17, and remembered the cool reaction he'd received from the girl he kissed so excitedly, hunkered behind the bleachers. He had no more kisses until he was 19, and kept his virginity until 22. He'd saved face for years in front of his guy friends, but in truth for all his adolescence he was a fish out of water.

"Every other day" Julia mumbled, looking at her skirt.

"...What?" Charlene asked softly, not sure she was hearing correctly.

"She said every other day" Anthony said, nodding confidently. Julia drew a hand down the side of her face, feeling dirty for having this conversation, and stupid for feeling dirty.

_"Every other day???"_ Charlene asked in disbelief.

"Well I mean, it could be everyday but y'all stress us--" Anthony began to say before Julia smacked him hard in the arm, shutting him up, immediately.

Charlene stared at them with her mouth open almost far enough for her chin to touch her chest. "Well...who initiates it _every other day_?" she asked, still amazed. They were older than she was, doesn't a car slow as it ages?

"He always--" "She starts it--" they answered simultaneously, shooting each other stern glances in reaction to their accusations.

Julia looked at Anthony incredulously. "And how exactly do _I_ start anything? _You_ are always mistaking my innocent kisses for--"

"Innocent?!" Anthony said, just as incredulous at her answer. "I'm not the one who comes waltzing into the storeroom _'Hello, Mr. Bouvier'_" he answered, imitating Julia's husky, seductive voice.

Julia's jaw dropped open, and in her chair Charlene nearly choked on air, coughing loudly. Julia barely noticed as she snapped, "Well, _forgive me_, I'll be sure to send Berniece in there in the future. I wasn't aware that I was _attacking_ you against your will. I'll have to try to calm down, take a little testosterone, grow leg stubble, add a moustache to keep you from getting so aroused you can't _finish your work_!" She jerked her business jacket in frustration, brushing at her curls as she said, "Maybe Suzanne can give you some of her nail glue so you can glue your lips together, finally keep your _tongue in your mouth_!"

Anthony stomped his foot in frustration, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Those kisses are _not innocent_!"

"Well, _who_ was the one who sat me on his lap when his _grandmother_ was on her way over for dinner, only to have her catch us _kissing_ on my sofa?!" Julia retorted. "Oh _yes_, somewhere in the heart of Atlanta is a poor, old woman running around each day with the image of you _manhandling_ me seared in her brain."

Julia and Anthony turned to look at Charlene, noticing her side of the room had grown eerily silent, and saw her curled up in her chair, wide-eyed, and amused.

Julia crossed her legs, trying to hide her embarrassment as she snipped at Anthony, "Well, I can see how you're helping Charlene, thank you very much."

"The pleasure is all mine" Anthony replied, and they both sat in embarrassed silence for a few moments before Anthony lifted his head slightly and said to Charlene, "So, you want any other help, or can we go and destroy our relationship on our own?"

Charlene was quiet for a few more moments before she shook her head and said, "I don't get it, I mean you all run a business together, you see each other everyday, you're both hot-headed--"

Anthony and Julia nodded toward one another accusingly.

"--and yet, somehow, you all can find time to have a healthy, well-balanced relationship with each other--" in spite of her efforts, she began to tear up, "--and I can barely keep my marriage afloat."

Anthony and Julia sat in silence, feeling ashamed for not taking the problem as seriously as they should have. They looked at one another, nudged each other affectionately, and Julia tossed her jacket aside and laid it over the armrest as she nestled against Anthony, who was leaning back against the sofa.

"We're sorry, Charlene" she said, sighing deeply, and looking at her friend thoughtfully. "I wish there was a magic secret, something I could tell you to make things easier, but I can't."

Charlene wiped at her eyes and sniffled. "It's fine, I guess I'll just sit here and wait for my marriage to decay from the inside out" she said frustratedly.

"That's not what I meant."

Charlene looked over at them, and into Julia's large eyes, which were full of the sort of motherly tenderness she always saw whenever one of them had a problem and came to her for help.

"What I mean is, it's not easy. You're thinking there's something Anthony and I have that you and Bill don't, and that couldn't be further from the truth."

Anthony rubbed Julia's back and leaned forward as he looked kindly at Charlene. "She's right, Charlene. I know to you the whole thing sounds fun, exciting, sexy--and it is don't get me wrong--" he said, cocking an eyebrow and nodding his head, eliciting an eye roll from Julia, "--but the truth is Julia and I are there from the time the store opens 'til whenever we can scramble out of work at night, and everyday we're balancing different responsibilities, wants, needs."

"So what do you do?" Charlene asked in a half-whisper.

"We make time for each other" Julia said simply, smiling gently. "Anthony is the first to get there most mornings because we like to have coffee together to get the day rolling--"

"I didn't know that" Charlene said quietly, shooting Anthony an admiring look.

"Well, you do now" Julia said, looking shyly at the floor for a moment. "We also eat lunch together almost everyday, even if it's in the van on the way to the bank, we talk about what's happened during the day when the other one is gone, even if we only have a few minutes together,..."

"We always ask one another's opinions on work or life," Anthony said, sliding forward in his seat, "we talk about what we want to do after work--" at this he looked at Julia tenderly and pinched her waist playfully, "--and after you all are gone we sit on the sofa together and...and just sit." Anthony shrugged sheepishly and said softly, "Of course, the sofa's usually where it starts."

Julia sighed next to him. "That answers your next question, I'm sure."

Charlene looked at them both admiringly. "Y'all," she said, fighting back a few tears, "y'all are too sweet. I feel terrible because we--" she stopped herself short, hoping they hadn't heard her.

Anthony cocked a brow as he looked at her. "Because you all had no faith in us at first?" he asked quietly, puckering his lips and shooting her a somewhat disappointed look.

Charlene looked at the floor sheepishly, nodding slowly.

"We knew" Julia said quietly, looking reservedly at Charlene, who could see the disappointment in her eyes as well. "Water under the bridge, Charlene" she said, offering her a small smile.

Charlene sighed quietly, shaking her head. "Bill and I don't do any of the things you all do. I can't remember when was the last time we ate dinner together, or even had a conversation that didn't center around work or Olivia."

"But that's something you can change, Charlene" Anthony said gently. "You just have to be willing to be honest with each other, and work together. He's probably feeling as bad as you do."

Charlene smiled at Anthony, nodding in agreement. "You're right. If you all can find a way to make time for each other with everything on your plates, I think Bill and I can manage."

Julia and Anthony smiled at her, looking at one another playfully and shoving each other gently as they stood to leave. Charlene walked them to the door, bringing Olivia with her so Julia and Anthony could kiss her goodbye. "Thank you so much, y'all" she said, looking at them gratefully.

Julia and Anthony smiled, and he said, "No worries, Charlene...but let's agree that this doesn't need to be weekly thing, okay?"

"If anyone finds out about this--" Julia started.

"No, no, no" Charlene said, shaking her head furiously.

They bid one another goodnight, and walked slowly down the driveway, sliding into Anthony's car. He turned the key in the ignition and pulled out, and was quiet for a few moments as they started down the street before he said, "Well...I never knew we were patron saints of love and sex."

Julia shook her head, rolling her eyes and biting back a smirk. "I don't even think I want to know what sort of thoughts Charlene has had about us that would have encouraged her to reach out to us in this way. I don't know what she thinks we know" she said, shaking her head again.

Anthony threw Julia a look of mock surprise. "Well now, Ms. Sugarbaker, I should remind you that this is an area in which we do excel."

Julia looked out the window as she said, "Forget it, Anthony. I was recently informed that I am too distracting to you, so I think cutting you off until you can refocus would be good for you."

Anthony cocked a brow as she looked at him pointedly. "Cutting me off?" he said. "Go ahead, Julia, I won't be the one to implode. I have a lot of other hobbies and interests that can occupy my time."

"Well good," she said, looking out at the road, "then I guess neither one of us has anything to worry about."

"Nope, nope" Anthony replied.

"Well good" she said again.

They sat in silence for a few moments, before Anthony said, "So just so we're clear, the cutting off thing starts tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, yes" Julia said quickly, nodding, trying to keep her composure.

"That curtain rod in your bedroom still loose?"

"Very loose, yes."

They shot one another playful glances, and Anthony winked at Julia as she laid her head against his shoulder, their car continuing swiftly on its path to her home.


	2. Chapter 2

It was 8:45 am when Anthony opened the door to Sugarbaker's the next morning, 15 minutes before they opened, and about 10 minutes before anyone else would be coming in. He looked up to see Julia crossing the floor, holding two cups of coffee, winking at him as she sat down on the sofa.

"Good morning, good lookin'" he said teasingly, closing the door behind him and taking his usual seat beside her, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close as they sat next to one another, enjoying their usual morning routine. Julia thought sometimes that this routine they'd established was the only thing that helped her to keep her sanity some days.

"You know, Julia, if Sugarbaker's ever goes south, we could establish a successful practice as marriage counselors" Anthony said teasingly, referring to their conversation with Charlene the night before.

"Think I'll pass, darlin'" Julia said, smirking to herself as he chuckled beside her.

Anthony sipped his coffee quietly, glancing at Julia for a moment out of the corner of his eye. He was always flabbergasted when he remembered that the person he was dating now was the same woman whom he'd first seen some five years before, when he'd run into her coming out of the grocery store, hauling quite a few heavy looking bags by herself.

_~_

_"Need some help with those?" Anthony asked, stopping shyly, just before he entered the store._

_Julia looked at him. She usually would've said a firm, but polite 'no thank you' but something about the look in this guy's eyes struck her as sincere, and she smiled at him shyly. "That'd be great, thank you" she said quietly, as he took most of the bags from her delicate hands. She blushed a little as they stepped onto the parking lot, noting right away that he was both gentle and handsome, a combination she'd always had a weakness for._

_"You always carry such a heavy load by yourself?" Anthony asked, looking over at her. He stammered a bit, and kicked himself inwardly, feeling pre-adolescent all over again. He'd managed to get a hold on his shyness, but by god, if she wasn't beautiful. Anthony noted there was something else about her that struck a nerve, the way she looked at him with those large, grey-green eyes. There was both soul and sadness in them, and the expanse of emotion in those eyes was like the stretch of an ocean to its horizon line._

_Julia bit her lip self-consciously. His question for her carried double meaning, one which he wasn't aware of, and she felt a small stab of sadness as she said, "Oh, you know how it goes" trying to laugh casually. "Just a few, last minute things for my business."_

_He looked down, noticing there were quite a number of interior design catalogs in her bags. "Are you a decorator?" he asked, stopping beside her as she opened her trunk._

_"I am" she said, smiling confidently, "I just started my own business earlier this year. Obviously, I could use a delivery man to help with some things." She giggled shyly, taking some of the bags from him and placing them in the trunk._

_He smiled, helping her place the rest in the trunk, and she glanced at him again, catching a sort of boyish nervousness and sadness in his face that caught her off-guard, especially in someone so otherwise tall and manly looking._

_"Are you working anywhere at the moment?" she asked quietly._

_Anthony looked at her nervously. "Me? Uh, no, no I'm not" he said, looking away and stubbing at the ground._

_"That's a surprise, I'd think someone like yourself would have no problem finding a job" she said, gently. She sensed he was withholding something, but for some weird reason--one she couldn't rationalize even to this day--she felt compelled to know what it was._

_Anthony laughed nervously. "Oh nah, I uh..." He trailed off, wondering whether to tell her, or even why he would tell someone he didn't know about his past. She was gentle and easy to talk to, and that in itself was strange to him; where he came from, neither quality was easy to find in anyone._

_He met her eyes and saw she was still looking at him patiently. "I got wrangled in with the wrong group of kids when I was young." He shrugged. "Came up on the wrong side of the tracks in the wrong part of Atlanta."_

_She stared at him quietly, and the mother in her was saddened by what she discerned was a lack of any childhood at all. "Your parents live here?" she asked, closing the trunk._

_Anthony shrugged uneasily. "I'm not sure" he said quietly._

_Julia bit her lip and looked down at her car, and then back at him. "Why don't you come in to my office tomorrow? I could use a delivery man, and I haven't had luck finding anyone yet" she said, handing him a business card._

_He took it from her shyly, and looked up at her. "You sure?" he asked, somewhat surprised._

_She smiled at him, nodding. "What's your name?"_

_"Anthony" he said, smiling back at her. He took the hand she extended, and shook it gently._

_"I'm Julia" she said quietly._

_~_

"Anthony?" Julia said, sliding forward and setting her empty coffee mug down, looking at him curiously. "Are you alright, you were staring at me."

Anthony blushed and set his mug down as well, straightening his tie. "Oh yeah, yeah I'm good" he said nodding quickly, leaning back against the sofa.

Julia furrowed her brow in confusion and turned away from him, brushing the sleeve of her blouse.

"Hey Julia?" he said quietly, touching her back gently.

"What?" she asked, turning to face him, a slight look of concern dancing across her face.

"I love you" he said, smiling at her.

"I love you too, darlin'" she said, smiling tenderly at him and leaning forward to kiss him.

The door to Sugarbaker's swung open and Charlene stepped inside, causing Anthony and Julia to pull apart quickly. "Morning, y'all" she said, smiling at them gratefully. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt" she said quietly, placing her things on her desk.

Anthony shook his head and smiled at her, stroking Julia's back before standing up. "It's no problem, Charlene, I should be getting out to Ms. Fricky's house anyway. Since we're redoing her bathroom I'm watching that iguana of hers again." He stepped past Julia, reaching for her hand and squeezing it as he whispered, "See you at lunch, baby."

She smiled and mouthed, "Bye" to him, letting him go and turning back to Charlene as the back door shut behind him. "Are you feeling better this morning, Charlene?" she asked calmly.

Charlene smiled and walked swiftly over to where Julia was sitting. "Oh yeah" she said breathlessly. "I haven't had a chance to talk to Bill yet, but I feel so much better already. You all just put everything into perspective for me" she said, squeezing Julia's hands. "I'll hear from him tonight, he gets one hour for a phone call home this evening."

Julia smiled, squeezing Charlene's hands tenderly. "I'm so glad to hear it, Charlene" she said, settling into the sofa and picking up her notebook. She began flipping through it when she noticed Charlene was still sitting next to her, staring at her. "Everything alright, Charlene?" she asked curiously.

Charlene nodded, looking a little flustered. "Oh yeah, yeah sure."

Julia smiled again, returning to her work. "Well, alright."

There was a bit of a pause before Charlene looked back at her. "Julia?" she said, fiddling with her sleeves. "Can I ask you a question?" Another pause. "It's something I've always been dying to know."

Julia hesitated, but said, "Well, sure, Charlene, what is it?"

Charlene stared at her for a moment before blurting out. "Is it true what they say about black men?"

Julia stared at her wordlessly, watching as Charlene looked nervously at her and at the floor, and back again. She heard the door open behind Charlene as Mary Jo and Suzanne came in and said, "Charlene?"

"Yeah?" Charlene asked quietly, feeling rather intimidated.

Julia winked at her and then stood, turning away before saying, "Good morning Mary Jo, Suzanne."

Charlene's mouth dropped open and she did her best to put on a straight face as she scurried to her desk.

"Hey y'all" they both said in unison.


	3. Chapter 3

Anthony sauntered in through the back door, looking around for Julia. He turned to Mary Jo and Charlene, who were sitting at the counter swapping ideas and drinking coffee.

"Where's Julia?" he asked, smiling at them.

"In the storeroom" Mary Jo said, smiling briefly before turning back to the sketchbook she and Charlene had been slaving over for the past 45 minutes.

Anthony opened the door quietly and peeked inside, seeing Julia at the far end of the room, flipping through a stack of catalogs.

She was about to pick up another catalog when something blocked her view, making her jump slightly.

"For you, madam" Anthony said dramatically, bowing at the waist and extending the bouquet toward her; small, delicate looking roses of several colors mingled with baby's breath and lilacs, all tied together in a cream colored ribbon.

"Anthony," Julia said breathlessly, taking the bouquet gently from his hands and lifting it to her face so she could smell it, "what are these for?"

"Just because" he said, grinning at her and leaning against the table.

"Darlin'" she said quietly, stepping toward him as he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her neck gently. "Mr. Bouvier, are you trying to start something with me?" she said teasingly in his ear.

Anthony hummed happily, kissing her again. "Well I don't know, Ms. Sugarbaker, that depends," he said, pulling back to look her in the eye, "is it working?" She laughed, pinching him playfully and kissing him again. They walked out of the storeroom together to find everyone gathering their things, preparing to leave for the day.

"Bye y'all, see you tomorrow!" Mary Jo called out as she and Suzanne waved goodbye and disappeared outside.

"Bye!" Julia and Anthony said in unison, crossing the floor together and sitting once again on the couch.

"Thank you all again so much," Charlene said excitedly, "I promise I'll call you all as soon as I've had a chance to talk to Bill!"

Julia and Anthony flashed each other a look, and turned back toward her as Julia said, "Maybe not all the details, Charlene."

Charlene nodded swiftly. "Right, right" she said quickly, waving goodbye to them and shutting the door.

Julia shook her head as she placed the flowers in the vase on the end table to her right, which was already filled with water from the bouquet that had occupied it earlier in the day, before she moved it.

"Well, well, Ms. Sugarbaker," Anthony said, sliding over to where she was, "it seems we are alone at long last."

"Ah," she said, turning to face him, "but it seems you forget that, as of 12am this morning, you were cut off, remember? To refocus?"

Anthony's mouth dropped open, in what was either mock or true horror, she couldn't discern. "Uh-uh!" he protested. "Julia, I just spent all day with an iguana, have some compassion!"

"I do have compassion," she said, cocking a brow at him and getting up from her seat, "but I also have a good memory, and I recall, last night, that I was told that you had other hobbies and interests that could occupy your time and that I would implode first, so we'll see if that's true."

Anthony's face fell in what was definitely real horror as she wheeled around, walking slowly toward the staircase and removing her jacket, shaking her hair as she did so and peeking at him over her shoulder.

"Will you be a darlin' and lock everything up before you leave?" she asked, stepping onto the first step of her stairs.

Anthony bit his lip and looked defeatedly at her, stifling a smirk, rising to his feet. "Very well played, Ms. Sugarbaker" he said, nodding his head slowly as he turned around and reached for the light on the other end table, sliding around the back of the sofa and turning off the other lamps in her office before stopping in front of her on the stairs. The room was bathed in only moonlight now and he could still see that cocky little grin on her face.

"Am I allowed a goodnight kiss during my time of self-reflection and punishment?" he asked, cocking a brow at her.

She pretended to think over his request for a few seconds before leaning forward across the railing and saying, "I could allow that."

Their lips met and Anthony deepened the kiss, waiting until she was really enjoying herself before pulling away suddenly and walking swiftly toward the front door, opening it as he wheeled around to look at her. "Thank goodness my other hobbies and interests include turning on a little Dynasty and delighting in the sight of Joan Collins." He watched her face drop in shock and smirked lasciviously as he wiggled his brows and said, "That woman could get me through any drought."

"You little--" Julia started to say, as he smirked and shut the front door.

They were both too stubborn to relent, determined to outlast the other. A few solid hours rolled by and suddenly it was 1 am, both of them lying wide awake, feeling that familiar ache of things unsatisifed. From their respective beds, each of them looked at the ceiling and said aloud "Never again." 


End file.
